ABSTRACT
The current drivetoward the vision of biorefineries replacing fossil fuels and reducing greenhouse gas emissions has set off immense research and development. Measures have been employed since the 20th century for conversion of biomass to fermentable sugars by acidic and alkaline hydrolysis at elevated temperatures. The economic viability of these methods relies on the yield of the product without producing many degradation products. The recyclability and recovery of acids or alkali used in hydrolysis methods are also critical factors in determining the efficacy of the method. Low yield of sugars, high formation of degradation products and low cost competence with petroleum materials has limited the utilization of conventional strategies. Enzymatic hydrolysis has thus evolved for the breaking down of complex molecules in the biomass to fermentable sugars at low cost and high yield. The evolution of enzymatic hydrolysis from conventional chemical hydrolysis is remarkable and will be discussed in this chapter.
